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BERGMANN. ELECTRIC LIGHT FIXTURE.

Patented Mar. 2

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linrrn Tans 'SIGMUND BERGMANN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO BERGMANN& 00.,-

FFICE OF SAME PLACE.

ELEC'TRlC LIGH'T FIXTURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 337,296, dated March 2,1886.

Application filed October 31, 1884. Serial No. 146,889. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIGMUND BERGMANN, of New York, in the county andState of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inElectric-Light Fixtures, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates tothe wiring ofallkinds of electric-light fixtures,my object being to facilitate the placing of the wires in the fixtures,and to do away with any danger of abrading the insulations when thewires are brought around sharp angles and curves within a fixture.

To this end my invention consists, mainly, in the use of flexibleconductors for wiring electric-lightfixtures--that is to say, ofconductors each made up of a number of fine wires massed together andsurrounded by an insulating-covering-two of such conductors beingusually twisted together, so that an exceedingly flexible conductingcordis formed. I

In nearly all fixtures,and especially in those of an elaborateornamental character,there are many sharp angles and short curves in thehollow tubes and arms of which the fixture is composed and through whichthe conducting-wires haveto be brought. The difficulties which arise inthe use of the ordinary stifi insulated wires in such cases will readilybe appreciated; but the flexible conductors arevery readilypassedthrough such arms and around the sharpest angles therein. in combinationfixtures for gas and electric light, where the wires are drawn throughnarrow spaces in the ornamental shell surrounding the gas-tube,the useof the flexible conductors is especially desirable; and also in swingingbrackets in which the flexible conductors are passed continuouslythrough the joints. In those fixtures in which astraight centralstem isemployed with branch arms extending from it, I prefer to employ stifi'wires for the primary wires, or those extending straight through thestem to the distributing-body, and to connect flexible conductors tothem to form the secondary wires extending through the arms to thelamps. The

primary wires may, however, be larger flexible conductors, to which thesmaller secondary wires are connected; or flexible wires may extend fromthe rigid house-wires continuously through the central stem and outthrough each lamp-arm.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows the application of myinvention to a suspended electrolier with two arms. shows the same witha combination fixture. Fig. 3 illustrates its application to an ordinarywall-bracket. Fig. 4 represents the flexible conductor which I prefertoemploy, and Figs.

Fig. 2

5, 6, and 7 illustrate the different modes of run- 6o ning primary andsecondary wires.

"Referring first to Fig. l, A is the straight central stem of theelectrolier suspended from the ceiling and surrounded by the ornamentalshell 13. Through the stem A the insulated stift'wires ac extend to thedistributing-body O, which is supported from below by rod b. From thedistributing-body the curved lamparms D D extend, each carrying anelectriclamp socket, c, and lamp (2. low the distributing-body flexibleconductors c c and e e are connected in multiple arc with the rigidwiresa a, preferably as shown in Fig. 5,the bared ends of the wiresbeing twisted In the space beto ether and covered with a wrapping ofinso ating'tape, f. The conductors e e are twisted into aflexible cord,6 which passes through one arm D to the lamp, while the wires 6 e,similarly twisted, extend through the other arm. These secondaryconductors c extend to the lamp-sockets, and are connected as usual tothe terminals thereof.

The preferred flexible conductors (shown in Fig. 4) consist each of amass of fine wires, g,

wound with cotton or other fibrous insulating material, h, then coveredwith rubber, i, and finally again wrapped with an external cottoncovering, is. These conductors are very flexible, and at the same timehave a substantial and moisture-proof insulating-covering.

In passing through the arms D D it will be seen that the conductors haveto turn the sharp angles within the balls Z Z and to pass around thecurves m m. It would be diflicult to acco'mplish this with the ordinarystiff wires but 9 5 with the flexible conductors it is readily done.

It is evident that in fixtures of still more elaborate design stillgreater difficulty would occur, and my invention is of still moreimportance.

Instead of bringing stiff wires through the stem, I may in some casesuse flexible con ductors n n, Fig. 6, larger than the secondaryconductors, such secondary conductors being connected tothem in multiplearc, asbefore; or I may use the continuous flexible conductors '0 0,Fig. 7, extending through the stem and bent out into the arms in caseswhere, instead of using primary and secondary wires, a pair of wires isrun through the stem for each lamp.

In the combined gas and electric'light fixture shown in Fig. 2,the stiffprimary wires a a are carried between the central stem, A, which conveysthe gas, and the surrounding shell B, and similar shells surround thedistributingarms D D, terminatingin the balls 12 go, through whichshells the flexible secondary conductors e are brought, and from theballs 2 the gas-arms r r and electric-lamp arms 8 s extend. It will beseen that as the gas-arms support the balls they must pass to thecenters thereof, so that the electrical conductors must be bent andcrowded into a narrow space, which would be practically impossible withrigid wires.

Similar diificulties exist to a greater or less extent in allcombination fixtures.

In Fig. 8 the flexible conductors are brought through the hollow arm ofa wall-bracket, F, and carried around the angles and curves thereof. e a

hat I claim is 1. In an electric-light fixture, the combination,with aninclosing tube or body,oftwoflexible separately-insulated electricalconductors united into a single cord passing through said tube or body,substantially as set forth.

2. In an electric-light fixture, the combina tion'ofstifi or rigidconductors for the primary circuit and secondary circuits, each composedof two flexible separately insulated electrical conductors united into asingle cord, substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 27th day of October, 1884.SIGMUND BERGMANN.

Witnesses:

WM. H. MEADOWCROFT, Tues. G. GREENE, Jr.

